If you have been following my website, you all know by now that I rarely write about eye creams as I personally find most of the eye creams on the market that not be that effective frankly. There's no doubt that Guerlain has been one of my most loved luxury skincare brands, and today I'm here with their Orchidée Impériale Eye and Lip Contour Cream, which I think is worth some spotlight for my audience :).
Scent & Consistency
Unlike their Orchidée Impériale Cream, the eye cream has no typical Orchidée Impériale floral scent, which is very good news to those who have fragrance sensitivity. Having said that, it's still high in phenoxyethanol, so if your skin's reactant to it, you might want to try out the sample first before committing to buy.
The texture of the eye cream is also quite different from their face cream, being non-greasy and fast-absorbing without leaving any oily residue although it still leans towards a thick consistency.
It hydrates and leaves eye and lip areas comforted without leaving any film over the top, which makes it easier to follow with make-up as it doesn't peel off.
Benefits
Enhanced with the revitalizing new Gold Orchid Technology, the new Orchidée Impériale Eye and Lip Cream - a fresh and soothing global age-defying treatment - brightens, smoothes and instantly redefines the contours of the eyes and lips for flawless makeup application.
With every application, fine lines, puffiness and dark circles under the eyes appear reduced. The eyes look fresh and bright, as if freed from fatigue. The eye area looks 5 years younger*.
Perfectly hydrated and plumped, the lips are firmer and more clearly defined. The eyes and smile are beaming with life and radiance.
*Average gain clinically evaluated by a dermatologist on 32 women, results after one month’s twice-daily application.
Full ingredients
AQUA (WATER) • GLYCERIN • PROPYLENE GLYCOL DICAPRYLATE/DICAPRATE • BUTYLENE GLYCOL • PENTYLENE GLYCOL • CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE • STEARETH-21 • LIMNANTHES ALBA (MEADOWFOAM) SEED OIL • ETHYLENE/ACRYLIC ACID COPOLYMER • METHYL METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER • CETYL ALCOHOL • STEARYL ALCOHOL • ORCHID EXTRACT • DIGLYCERIN • PHENOXYETHANOL • STEARETH-2 • STEARALKONIUM HECTORITE • SODIUM POLYACRYLATE • GLYCERYL HYDROXYSTEARATE • THEOBROMA GRANDIFLORUM SEED BUTTER • ALUMINA • DIMETHICONE • PROPYLENE CARBONATE • ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER • TROMETHAMINE • CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE) • CAFFEINE • DISODIUM EDTA • SODIUM HYALURONATE • XANTHAN GUM • DIPALMITOYL HYDROXYPROLINE • JASMINUM OFFICINALE (JASMINE) FLOWER EXTRACT • ADENOSINE • GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA (LICORICE) ROOT EXTRACT • PALMITIC ACID • CENTELLA ASIATICA LEAF EXTRACT • SANGUISORBA OFFICINALIS ROOT EXTRACT • TROPAEOLUM MAJUS EXTRACT • HYDROLYZED SOY FLOUR • TIN OXIDE • ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN
Effectiveness
Due to the texture, you could use Orchidée Impériale Eye and Lip Contour Cream as an all over face cream if you want something less fragrant and less rich, yet creamy in the Orchidée Impériale Exceptional Complete Care line. It's certainly not an economical alternative to their face cream, but if you think that you have thin skin and some sensitivity, then you might want to try. Though, it isn't deeply hydrating compared to other hydrating eye creams and face creams, so if you have very dry eye and lip areas, I'd rather suggest you to try La Prairie and Sisley eye creams instead depending on the intensity of hydration level that your skin needs.
Nevertheless, Orchidée Impériale Eye and Lip Cream is a very nice all rounder; a great make-up base for both eye and lip areas. To me, the eye cream is just right for warmer seasons as it doesn't make my eyelids oily throughout the day and it also somewhat smooths out the wrinkles on my lips for better lip make-up application. It doesn't have any built-in SPF, but I expect some light sun protection as it has titanium dioxide in about middle of the full ingredient list. I've noticed that it helps with accentuated wrinkles and dark circles from lack of sleep. The best part is that it somehow seems to control my PMS dark circles and puffiness around the eye area, which is what I love the most about it. There's also a pleasant firming sensation once the eye cream is fully absorbed without any discomfort or tightness. I wouldn't say it magically brightens or tightens the area instantly, but it does gradually improve the look of skin over time. If you have found La Prairie eye creams a little too heavy and rich, the Guerlain one will be a great alternative to try out :).
Where to buy
- Nordstrom (Free shipping & samples)
- Saks Fifth Avenue (Free shipping & samples)
Recommendations
- Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Regenerating Youth Eye Creme
- Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Eye Serum
- La Mer The Lifting Eye Serum
- La Prairie Cellular Eye Essence Platinum Rare (Eye serum)
- Luxury Skincare Guide (La Mer VS La Prairie VS Swiss Perfection VS Sisley VS Guerlain)